BALL SPECS

Pin Length: 3" - 4"

Ball Weight: 16 lbs


DRILL PATTERN

Dual Angle Layout: 60 x 4 1/2" x 75

X Hole (if there is one): 2" down my VAL from my PAP


BOWLER STYLE

Rev Rate: Higher, between 370 and 410 rpm, aka Cranker

Ball Speed: 16.50 mph

PAP/Track: 5 3/8" over and 7/8" up with a high track

SURFACE PREP

Grit: Box - 500, Royal Compound

Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): Polished


LANE CONDITION

Length: Multiple

Volume: Multiple

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): Multiple


BALL REACTION

Length: 7 / 10

Back End: 8 / 10

Overall Hook: 7 / 10

Midlane Read: 7 / 10

Breakpoint Shape:  Clean through the front with angular motion down lane


COMMENTS

Likes: Reacts like a pearl with good backend motion

Dislikes: None


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

The Melee Jab is the latest ball and will compliment the Melee Cross. With the same lower RG core and a 100% pearl cover, this ball will be a go to when the Melee Cross is hooking too much. The Melee Jab clears the front of the lane and will have a stronger hook motion off of the spot. I have used this ball on THS and Sport conditions with no issues. If you are looking for a ball that is versatile, then the Melee Jab is your answer.

Check out a video of Kerry Smith and myself throwing the Melee Jab:

THS

75 x 5-1/2 x 40

This ball is a great pearl symmetric that everybody will have a blast throwing.  It is an extremely versatile pearl with the new additive package that Brunswick has pumped into this ball.  The Melee Jab will be great for slower ball speeds needing a ball to get thru the heads, and will also be great for the power players needing a benchmark pearl in their bag.

LANE CONDITION

Length: 38 ft.

Volume: Medium

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc): THS


COMMENTS

Likes: Every once in a while a ball comes around that EVERYONE COULD use, and EVERYONE SHOULD use.  This Melee Jab is it! 

Drilled mine with pin 4.5" from PAP and just below fingers about an inch, with CG and balance hole next to the thumb.  I live and bowl in Utah, where one company has a huge presence, and I'm watching guys check it out as it sits on the ball return. 

This Jab makes me look way better than I am with it's strong read of friction and versatility.  On fresh I can play straighter lines and let it finish, but after transition it allows me to really open up the angles perfectly.  Carry has been ridiculously good. 

My teammate (450 revs) who has predominantly thrown some excellent equipment from another company used mine for about 5 frames and ordered one immediately.  I cannot imagine any style bowler not having as much fun as I am with this ball on the conditions we face 90% of the time.

If I can be of assistance please PM me and I'll do my best to help.  Thank you for considering Brunswick.

Dislikes: Not one.


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

BALL SPECS


Pin Length: 3


Starting Top Weight: 3.2 oz


Ball Weight: 15 lbs 4 oz



DRILL PATTERN


Ball: 55 x 4.5 x 70


X Hole (if there is one): none



BOWLER STYLE


Rev Rate: 375 rpms


Ball Speed:17.5 mph



PAP/Track: 4 3/4 over 3/4 up



SURFACE PREP


Grit: 800 Grit Siaair plus polish


Type: (Matte, Polish, Sanded): Polished



LANE CONDITIONS


Lengths of patterns: 41 foot house and 39 foot Viper



Volumes:  moderate



Type: house and sport




BALL REACTION


Length: Clean through the heads with slight read of midlane



Back End: strong continuous arc


Overall Hook: moderately aggressive


Midlane Read: none


Breakpoint Shape: strong arc



COMMENTS


Likes: Versatility, consistency, strong move at the breakpoint



Dislikes: none


The Melee Jab is a stronger version of the original Melee.  It gives me a very useable step down from more aggressive balls like the Melee Cross with more recovery down lane than other options like the Ringer Solid.  The Melee Jab picks up the read a little sooner than the red Melee while still giving plenty of length and recovery.  This ball will be my go to benchmark ball to read ball reaction on any lane condition.  It has the consistent reading characteristic of a solid, while also having the back end recovery of the pearl.  This ball seems to play well from all angles across the lane.  I was able to start playing up the 7th board on Viper and wind up pitching it left to right from the 3rd arrow all the way to that breakpoint with no issues.  The ball would get as angular as I wanted it to be with more axis rotation and would also smooth out properly without rolling out too early when I rolled up behind it more.   It has been an absolute pleasure to roll!  This is truly a ball that most any bowler could use effectively.  If you are looking for a benchmark ball with length and recovery throw a Jab!

Bobby Benton
Maryland

Brunswick Melee Jab (http://www.bowlwithbrunswick.com/balls/detail/melee-jab/)
55 x 5 x 50 (OOB Surface)

Personal Stats:
400-450 RPM
18-20 MPH
PAP – 5 5/8” over, 1” up
Axis Tilt – Estimated 8-12 Degrees
http://youtu.be/XywVojKDWR4#t=1h12m50s (example)
Current League Average: 237
Sanctioned Sport Average: 210

Intended Use:
I drilled up the Melee Jab looking to fill a big hole in my bag. In my current 6-ball arsenal, prior to drilling the Jab, I had no pearls. Even when expanding to 9 balls, I didn’t fit a pearl in the bag. Only when travelling with 12 balls did I find use for a pearl. In other words – I don’t have any pearls I like! That CHANGED with the Jab. I was looking for a ball that is clean up front, but with my speed still tractions downlane on deep, inside angles. This is a motion I was lacking for later in blocks on medium/long patterns when I am very far left on the lane. Normally, I would use something like an LT-48 or a Mastermind Genius when trying to play this deep, but neither ball was “the answer”. I now have that answer!

Reaction:
Where the LT-48’s solid cover lacked the punch downlane to get corners out, the Mastermind Genius’s Asymmetric Core was too over/under off the friction on a burned up condition. This Melee Jab has solved ALL of those problems. It easily clears the choppy heads with its Pearl cover, retains the energy and releases it downlane, off the back of the pattern, to create excellent entry angles from deep inside where I prefer to use it. What has impressed me most about this ball however, is how versatile it has been on softer house conditions. Since drilling it, I have used it almost exclusively in league for 4 sets ranging between 720-750. On softer conditions, I prefer to use weaker solids/hybrids with surface to play closer to the friction and maximize carry. With the Jab, I can play the same part of the lane with success. The clean cover allows the ball to glide through the dry track area on a house pattern and create excellent entry angle. The cover is also strong enough that misses in the “puddle” on a house pattern don’t hydroplane. This has created more room on a house pattern than I have seen in a while!

Overall:
This ball is a winner. Not only has it filled a hole in my bag exceptionally, it has become my go-to ball on house conditions as well. It has worked exceptionally well for me as a high-rev/high-speed player, but the pearl cover will also be perfect for lower speed/rev dominant players as well.

LANE CONDITION

Length:41

Volume:medium

Type (THS, Sport Pattern etc):ths


COMMENTS

Likes: First thing you will notice about this ball is how good it looks.  The second thing you will notice is how easy it is to get it down the lane, and the third will be how much movement you will get after it hits the back end.  I have been using it when my melee cross starts burning up, just switch over to the melee jab and keep swinging

Dislikes: unless your ball speed is really slow, this will not be a heavy oil ball.  also with the amount of back end people who really rev it up be prepared to move left when they get really dry


PICTURES AND/OR VIDEOS

BRUNSWICK MELEE JAB REVIEW

James Goulding III
Brunswick Ball Tester
Left Handed
350 RPM
PAP: 4 5/8” x 0”
17* Tilt
18.0 – 18.5 MPH

Brunswick Melee Jab
Layout: 4 3/4” x 65*, pin under grip center
X-hole: None

Review:

40ft. House Pattern, Medium-Heavy Blend

I drilled the Melee Jab pin under to be a smooth, yet longer version of the Melee Cross, and that’s exactly what I got. Using this ball on fresh THS is great, especially when I have room left to wheel it off of, as it creates extra area and “miss room”. Being on the left side, I am able to play straighter with less aggressive equipment while still being able to “bang on it”, which is why the Melee Jab was a perfect fit for my game. My first three game set on my league was a 715 with games of 237, 226, 252. The ball reaction is very clean through the heads and mid lane, but still gives a strong heavy roll into the pocket. I believe the combination of the strong symmetrical motor of the Melee core, as well as the pearl cover stock, both allow this ball to achieve a more down lane type of hook, while still rolling heavy, which is the type of reaction you want from a versatile pearl. As far as comparison to other equipment, I played 5 boards further left with my feet, and 3 boards further left with my eyes than with the Melee Cross with a similar layout. I was also about 3 boards further left with my feet with the same target at the arrows as my Melee, showing just how well the Melee Jab fits into the lineup. If you’re looking for that benchmark pearl ball in your lineup, then pick up a Melee Jab.

Team USA Mexico City Oil Pattern

I was curious how the Melee Jab would handle the longer oil pattern (45ft.) that Mexico City lays down, and was actually pleasantly surprised with the results. With a 4 3/4” pin under layout, the Melee Jab starts its move early enough to give a more readable reaction on this oil pattern. If I had a long pin over layout, I don’t feel it would have given me the look I desired on this longer oil pattern. Carry percentage was the only issue on this pattern when it was fresh, but after throwing a few games, and breaking down the pattern (with the help of the Melee Cross to burn up a spot), the Melee Jab really shined. It’s a perfect compliment to the Melee Cross, which worked great on Mexico City until they broke down, and then I could move right to the Melee Jab and pick up where the Melee Cross left off, playing a similar part of the lane. I shot games of 219, 218, 227 (fresh oil) and then games of 238, 247, 269 on the burn. On this pattern, I played 4 boards further left with my feet and 2 boards further left with my target than the Melee Cross. Also, I was 2 boards further left and 1 board further left with my target than I was with the Melee on Mexico City.

Team USA Los Angeles Oil Pattern

The Team USA Los Angeles oil pattern is a 36ft. pattern, which was a great test to see how the Melee Jab would react to the shorter length, and it really shined on the fresh oil. I was able to start left, placing the ball down around 11, catching my break point at the 5 board down lane, and the ball reaction was incredible. Even as I had to move inside as the oil pattern wore down, I was still able to get tremendous pin carry, which is something that many balls struggle with as you increase the angle off of your hand. I was able to play much straighter than I could with my original Melee or Melee Cross on this shorter oil pattern, and having that pearl cover stock really makes a huge difference, especially on these type of shorter oil patterns. I played 6 further left with my feet and 3 further left with my target than the Melee Cross, and I was able to play 3 further left with my feet and the same target as the Melee. Overall, I was very pleased with how the Melee Jab held up on this shorter pattern. It will be the ball I start with going forward, and if they break down further I can go to my Ringer Platinum Pearl and then the Strike King when they really break down.

Overall Impression

I would say that overall the Melee Jab is a must own for any bowler looking to add a ball that can handle a variety of lane conditions, from medium blends to shorter patterns. The cover stock is very surface adjustment friendly, so don’t be afraid to sand or polish the cover stock to your liking. This ball fits perfectly behind the Melee Cross (very aggressive) and the Melee (medium oil monster) in my arsenal, and it will be in my bag for a long time. If you’re a one day a week bowler, this ball will help get you the most bang for your buck, as the pearl cover will widen the amount of lane conditions you can hit with one ball, especially as patterns break down. Also, if you’re the serious, competitive bowler such as me, then this ball HAS to be in your bag at all times. I can’t wait to use it on an even wider variety of flatter tournament conditions and see this ball shine. If you’re looking for your next benchmark pearl ball, or looking to fill that gap between the super aggressive stuff and the milder reacting balls, check out the Brunswick Melee Jab, you’ll be glad you did!

James Goulding III
Brunswick Ball Tester